Warren’s Psych Corner is a segment by Warren A. Kass, Ph.D. Consulting Clinical Psychologist at Magdala House. Dr. Kass is a graduate of Marquette University, has a doctorate from St. Louis University, and has over 51 years of experience as a clinical psychologist. Warren’s Psych Corner Is an informative, thought-provoking piece that will inspire us to live, think, and be better people.
Recent blogs have talked about things like stress, Adverse Childhood Experiences, mindfulness, and resilience. They also mentioned something interesting: using rituals to help with stress, especially when you’re anxious about performing.
Imagine feeling tense, shaky, sweaty, or even sick to your stomach before doing something like speaking in public. It’s called performance anxiety, and lots of people deal with it.
In public speaking, approximately 75% of the population feels excessively nervous before a presentation. Athletes, performers, teachers, writers and sales personnel, among others, can experience performance anxiety.
When we’re super anxious, our brains are all focused on the scary stuff and looking for a way out. Our brain’s amygdala, limbic system and sympathetic nervous system are very active and focused on the perceived threat and searching for an escape route.
The long-standing Yerkes-Dodson law demonstrates that mild to moderate stress improves performance. Actually, a little bit of stress can be good for us. It’s like going up the first big hill on a roller coaster – it gets your heart pumping and your mind sharp. The trick is to find that sweet spot where you’re just nervous enough to stay focused but not so much that you freeze up.
Brief mantras are typically not strong enough to wrestle control from the amygdala and limbic system. We need more sustained procedures to push our thoughts and feelings to the more rational and cognitive parts of our brains. That’s where rituals come in. You know, like Serena Williams bouncing the ball 5 times before her first serve and 2 times before her second. Or Cristiano Ronaldo stepping onto the field with his right foot first. Even a famous pianist carries a pink plastic lobster backstage before performing – it’s all about believing you can do it.
Researchers have even found that baseball players and students have their own rituals to help them perform better. It’s not about trying to ignore your anxiety – that usually makes it worse. Don’t ignore your nervousness; instead, remind yourself that you are an expert in the field, and practice your presentation slowly and confidently. You should always conclude with a positive thought, such as “This is going to be great!”.
